Falling Into Darkness
by Shinigami y Inochi
Summary: Duo's life has always been full of darkness, the pain all consuming and never relenting. Is Duo's descent merely depression, or is there a more sinister being behind his fall? Will there be enough time for the others to pull him out? *Warning graphic
1. Chapter 1

Falling into Darkness

The chamber was dark and foreboding with a tinge of death in every corner. It was cold, for no fire graced the hearth., the only piece of furniture being a large stone chair in the room's center. A throne by all appearances carved with skulls, serpents, and symbols more satanic than any seen on earth and far more powerful. Light from the huge floating mirror before the throne threw it's occupant into shadow, the only light source in the room.

"Come to me oracle, let us look and see how my prize has been holding up. It has been long since I have gazed on his beauty." The room's keeper commanded with a graceful sweep of his right arm. His voice was ominous and powerful, full of hate and dark fury. He gestured at the doorway, beckoning in the Oracle.

The young girl who entered the throne room could not have been more than 16 years old when she lived, a thin specter, rather tiny even by human standards, not frail in build, but soft looking. Her crimson robes swished gently against the floor as she walked, covering her hands in soft velvet and concealing her face from view; all save her eyes. Eyes of striking turquoise green pierced the darkness, glowing in the dim blue light of the mirror. She stepped fearfully forward, her eyes downcast and stormy to stand obediently behind the stone throne.

"Show him to me Oracle. I wish to look on his face again, before I destroy him once more." The Oracle sighed, and yet she obeyed quickly, her eyes glowing even brighter as the magic of the mirror coursed through her veins.

An image appeared in the mirror, a view of the world above this room. The magic's eye fixed on one being, a young boy with a long chestnut braid….

Duo hummed as he worked, repairing the arm of his mobile suit, affectionately called Death scythe Hell. The song was a catchy and up beat tune, something he had heard while on the streets long ago. Heero and Trowa were also doing repair work nearby, trying to ignore the constant noise their fellow pilot was making. The group of fie pilots had just returned from another mission involving the destruction of an Oz space station. Now, they retreated to the newest in a long line of safe houses to regroup, a run down shack of a house with only 2 bedrooms, but surprisingly still had internet access, thanks to the neighbors just down the road, and a modern heating system.

Duo heard an irritated growl from across the room and poked his head out to investigate. "Problems Heero?" He teased, always trying to get a rise out of the stoic pilot.

"I can't concentrate with you making that infernal racket all the time!" Heero shouted back, giving Duo a mild glare encouraging him roughly to cease the disturbance.

"But I thought the perfect soldier couldn't get distracted." Duo chimed, a Cheshire cat grin on his face. Heero glared a moment more, and returned to his repairs without a word, determined to ignore the braided pilot.

Duo pouted. "Fine Heero, have it your way. I won't hum." Duo retreated back underneath his Gundam, and after a moment's pause began to sing, "It's a small world after all" as loud as he possibly could.

"Duo!" Heero screamed and flung his wrench in the general direction of Duo's voice. The tool made a loud clank as it struck Death scythe Hell's hull. Duo eeped, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry Heero, I couldn't help myself." Duo climbed out from under the gundam, inspecting the mobile suit for dents where the wrench had struck it. Finding none, he turned toward the door. "Well guys, I'm done. I'll see you back at the safe house." Duo looked back a moment to see if they had heard him, the pair were still working diligently on their suits, not really paying much attention to what Duo had said. With a sigh he retreated from the hanger without a sound.

"Was it necessary to chase him off?" Trowa asked when he was sure Duo was out of earshot.

"What are you talking about?" Heero looked up, a mildly confused expression crossing his face.

Trowa sighed, shaking his head in exasperation. "Never mind Heero. You'll figure it out on your own." Heero gave Trowa an inquisitive look, but the lanky pilot had returned to his repairs, ignoring the questioning eyes on him. Heero huffed, but continued to work.

Duo bounced into the safe house looking for Quatre. He walked into the kitchen to find the blonde Arab mixing several ingredients into a bowl.

"Hi Duo." He glanced up cheerfully, brilliant blue eyes sparkling in good humor. "All done with your repairs?"

"Yep." Duo smiled, his good spirits returning immediately. "Deathsyche's all fixed." Quatre nodded, his eyes returning to the mixing bowl on the counter in front of him.

"Did Trowa look like he would be finished soon?" He asked blushing beneath his golden bangs.

Duo grinned from ear to ear, "I'm sure he'll be done soon. Now aren't you glad you're going to have to share a room with him?" Duo stood and headed for the one bathroom at the end of the hall, glancing back to catch the deep red blush creep up Quatre's neck at his suggestion.

"What are you talking about Duo?" Quatre frowned feigning innocence his eyes moving to where Duo had been, but the braided pilot had snuck silently away. Quatre sighed. 'I hope the two of you realize soon that you love each other, before it's too late. Heero, you're hurting him so much and you don't even know it. I don't know how much of it he can continue to take.' The thoughts came unbidden to the forefront of his mind while he returned to his cooking, no longer in good spirits.

Duo locked the bathroom door with a resounding click. His hand lingering on the latch and his forehead pressed into the cool plywood. The door resounded hollowly as his head connected with the cheap material. He sighed heavily and squeezed his eyes shut, his usually jubilant attitude abandoned once he was alone.

'It's getting harder and harder to keep this up. I need a solo mission soon, or I'm going to go insane trying to fool them day and night.' Duo thought dispassionately, the mass of chestnut hair that was his braid falling gently over one shoulder. He pushed away from the door and over to the shower, turning on the hot water as high as it would go. He stripped himself of shirt and pants, catching a glimpse of his back in the mirror.

Duo stopped, staring hard at the web of scarring across his back, his eyes wandered over the criss crossed scars made by a forked whip, the jagged marks of flying shrapnel and the clean lines of an old knife wound. All testaments to the horrors of his life as an orphan living on the streets and as a soldier. The braided pilot turned around and faced the mirror as if he were facing an opponent in battle. Hundreds of small scars littered his shoulders and parts of his chest, the only evidence of the turmoil within. The mirror began to fog with steam as he ran his fingers over the marks he'd made himself, mesmerized by the memory of razor blades cutting into once pristine flesh. His image wavered as steam filled the tiny bathroom, drawing the pilot back to reality.

'Poor little Duo. Having problems playing with others again?' the voice resounded through Duo's head like the tolling of a bell. He closed his eyes against the internal voice with disgust.

"Go away Shinigami. I don't need to deal with you right now." The command fell from his lips in the same monotone that Heero often used around him, halting the voice he had dubbed his split personality, affectionately naming it Shinigami.

Duo's whole life had been based around this voice, even his name. There was Duo, the boy from the orphanage that was scared and alone. The side of his personality that was weak and full of feelings, but also cheerful and jubilant. the part that hurt after battle and took out the pain on his own skin. This was mask he downed when he spoke to others, being the annoyingly talkative pilot so no one would look too deep into his eyes and see the pain hidden there.

The other half was Shinigami. The soldier in battle was Shinigami, the one who killed with no remorse and appeared unafraid of death. This was the side that was able to cope with the deaths of those around him, the only reason he hadn't killed himself already. Zero had brought the split even more to light when Duo was faced with the prospect of fighting himself. The thought of his greatest enemy being his own mind terrified him, it meant that he might never win, that he might always be broken.

'Is the mask slipping again poor Duo? Do they suspect your weakness?' Came his alter ego again, full of sarcasm.

"I don't have the patience for you right now Shinigami. Go away." Duo stepped into the steaming water of the shower with a sigh, pulling his hair from it's braid, letting the wet strands cling around his thighs; the feel of wet warm hair was heavenly.

'I can help….' Shinigami's husky whisper filled the pilot's mind.

"NO," Duo commanded water running down his face.

"Hnn." Heero growled as he opened the door to the bathroom. Duo jumped instinctively pulling the shower curtain as closed as he could get it; not that it did him any good being mostly clear, save for the steam clinging to the low grade plastic.

"I know I locked that door Heero. What are you doing in here?" The pilot pulled long thick strands of hair down to cover his lower body as best he could, not really sure why he bothered, they'd both seen much worse than their partner naked before.

"I am removing the oil and other particles from my arms with water." 01 began washing his hands methodically, paying special attention to his cuticles and the crevices in his knuckles.

Duo snorted. "It's called 'washing your hands' Heero, and can't you wait a few minutes?" He slowly began soaping up his hair with a tiny bottle of shampoo he had plundered off a hotel months ago.

"No there's only one bathroom." Heero glanced toward the shower stealthily, catching a glimpse of Duo's bare skin through the waterfall of rich auburn color hair. He swallowed convulsively and shook his head returning to washing his hands.

Duo kept his back turned away from his fellow pilot, desperately trying to keep his emotions under control. 'I am not reacting this way. I do no want him like that. He's just a friend. I am not gay….' Duo told himself mainly to keep his mouth moving and keep from thinking.

'Yes you are.' Shinigami chastised with a demonic laugh. ' You know you want him.'

'I don't!' The mental scream echoed even in his own head, his body shaking from the power of the unvoiced scream. Shinigami backed down slowly.

'Very well oh powerful one.' Came the dismissive chuckle, a cover for the nervousness he now felt. 'You shall soon be falling at his feet.' Shinigami's voice disappeared leaving Duo leaning against the shower wall with one hand in complete silence save for the sound of running water. Duo took a breath and looked past the shower curtain, meeting the strange look of concern on Heero's face in the mirror before it vanished as well…


	2. Chapter 2

Falling into Darkness Chapter 2

By Shinigami y Inochi

Genre: angst, supernatural

Disclaimer: I seem to have forgot this on the previous chapter so here it is: I don't own Gundam wing, or any other characters in this story that belong to Bandai.

Reviews: Would love critiques! Using this as a way to get back into writing and would love suggestions!

"Damn the little fool!" The dark lord condemned as he stood, the very stone of this throne shaking with the fury of his words. "He's getting too strong for his own good. That last blast could have actually done some damage." The shadow paced back and forth before the glowing mirror, anger emanating off him in hot waves that burned at the Oracle's senses.

She came out of her trance after a moment, shaking with the remnants of reality out of her vision. "Your, grace, may I speak plainly?" She watched is restless pacing with calculating eyes, eyes that know far more then they let on.

"By all means Oracle, you alone have never failed me, you alone have offered advice useful to my mission." He stopped pacing for a moment to gaze at her, the mirror behind him casting his features further into shadow, an outline of sheer power.

"Was not the point of all these years to awaken that potential the death of all those close to him, his mother, the orphanage where father Maxwell took him in, and solo? Was not the point of all that to awaken the anger inside him. To make him hate?" She questioned, placing a red clothed hand on the back of the throne, leaning her lithe frame across the cold stone almost seductively.

"That is true, my Oracle, but you know all this already. After all, it was through your power that these events occurred." He furrow his brow in annoyance at being reminded of facts he already knew, but also knowing that the Oracle rarely spot without a reason.

"Since he must come willingly to you my lord, why then are you allowing him to have feelings for another and not yourself?" The Oracle cornered, challenging him. At the same time holding her tongue on information she held as leverage. She knew far more now about the prophecy she gave her master when this child was born than she was willing to let on.

A knowing smile crossed the demon's dark features. "He will not come willingly to me, no matter how much pain I put him through. If I allow him, nay encourage his love of this foolish human pilot, then I can use that love to claim him. Little Duo would not allow harm to come to this boy and will willingly forfeit his soul to me to save him." His voice tingled with triumph in his plan; positive it would work to his advantage.

The Oracle nodded, her bright eyes saddened ever so slightly. "I understand my lord." The shadow nodded and resumed his pacing, plotting against his prey. 'You will fail in this my lord, if you are not careful. You have never loved, in all of your eternity, and thus you fail to realize it's power.' She watched her master quietly, scenes flashing before her eyes with every step, each one a possible future. She saw the young braided pilot face down in the mud, a pool of blood mixing slowly in the rain falling all around him. She watched him burst into frustrated tears, pounding his fists into the headstone of a grave before his friends pulled him away still struggling. She felt his ecstasy in the pleasure of his brown haired lover as he stripped a brown uniform from his muscular arms with the words "preventer" written on the chest, and finally she saw him kneeling before this very throne; chained and bleeding, the light long since gone from his eyes as her master laughed at the tortures he put his new play thing through.

Still, she held silent. Never influencing what may come. She watched the lord of this undead world pace back and forth patiently; she was quite used to his plotting and knew things worked out better for her if she kept silent. Suddenly he stopped, turning towards the doorway with a look of vial inspiration.

"Despair!" He called out loud, the walls shaking against the deep godly power of his voice. Bits of stone and dust fell from the ceiling, falling all around them as the earth shivered. A pile of stone dust fell on the Oracle's shoulder, drawing her attention. She glared at the offending earth and it burst into tiny flames on her shoulder, effectively ridding herself of the problem, the heat of the flames scorching earth, but doing no damage to the soft fabric of her robes.

"You summoned me your grace?" The hollow, unfeeling voice came from the doorway, an instant appearance to his summons.

"Do come in Despair, I have a job for you." Their master commanded beckoning the demigod forward. Despair nodded, stepping into the room with the practiced grace of a cat. He wore robes of royal blue with the hood thrown back to allow his raven locks to drape about his shoulders, shimmering in the light of the mirror. His eyes were a pale blood red, and lifeless as the damned. The flat disk of color held no pupil to dilate nor iris to give it focus, giving the causal on-looker the impression the being was blind; but Despair saw perfectly well; though his gaze usually fell onto those in dreams.

"As you command my lord." Despair glided closer, emotion absent in every word he spoke.

"I want you in Duo Maxwell's dreams this night. Remind him of all his past memories and regrets. Give him a tiny glimpse of his future. Make it a nightmare, Despair, a nightmare greater than any you have ever created before." Shadows still clinging to his muscled body, the lord commanded his disciple jubilantly, a flicker of sharp teeth glinting in the light from his grin. "I want him thrashing in fear before you're done with him."

Despair's eyes sparked to life a moment in anticipation. "Of course your grace."

"And when he wakes?" The Oracle demanded, her voice harsh with disapproval. "What more will you do to him then?"

"Nothing." The smug reply started her for the briefest moment. "I leave it up to Heero Yuy to do the rest." The Oracle narrowed her glowing turquoise eyes at him, but said not a word. "Now go Despair, back to the land of the living with you. Do not return until your task is complete."

"Of course my lord." Despair pulled his hood over his distinct features and covered his clawed hands, passing only vaguely for human in the ethereal light.

"Oracle." The master commanded, drawing her attention back to the two me. "A doorway please." She nodded in understanding, focusing her gaze on the surface of the mirror. He eyes began to glow brightly, the glow of the mirror matching pitch with her power and coming into complete focus. The flawless surface before her began to waiver, tiny ripples spreading out from the center as though a stone had been dropped in the center of a vast never ending lake. The once solid glass turned transformed into a pool of liquid magic. Despair stepped forward after a moment, placing hand tentatively to the mirror's bright surface. The pool rippled at his gentle touch, fingertips just barely gracing the once still waters. He plunged his hand below the waves, the mirror yielding to him easily taking in his form as he stepped through, never reflecting back where he was headed. When Despair had disappeared through the shimmering pool the glass wobbled a moment, hardening slowly as tendrils of ice crawled across it, returning to its original properties as if nothing had happened.

"Keep your eyes on that mirror, Oracle, and tell me immediately when Despair returns, understood?" Came the issued order in a voice of one used to his orders being followed commands a servant without thought.

"As you command your grace." The Oracle replied her voice hard, but none-the-less complacent.

"I have other matters to attend too, I shall return only when you have called." He strode from the room with confidence, his feet silent on the stone floor. The Oracle waited until her master was beyond ear shot before she folded herself gracefully into his throne, her turquoise eyes glowing eerily in the shadows of the room.

'Fool. He has absolutely no idea what he's doing. He's plotted too long on this task to throw it all away so easily.' The Oracle's thoughts fell on all that had happened to the boy her master hunted relentlessly, almost in pity, an emotion she had long ago thought she no longer possessed. She signed and closed her eyes, opening her mind to visions of past and future that fell on her. 'Soon, all that has been written will come to pass.' She drifted on completely into the sight…

Duo skipped dinner with the other pilots that night, an action extremely unusual for the braided pilot; after all, Duo loved to eat, food came second only to causing havoc. Duo sighed heavily as he closed the door to the room he'd be sharing with Heero, his damp hair wrapped gingerly in a big towel to dry and draped half-hazard over his shoulder.

"A few minutes alone will do me some good." He commented to the air, enjoying the silence. He sat down on the bed nearest the far wall, a tiny worn-out mattress with squeaky springs, and watched the trees blow in the soft breeze from the window. "Earth has so much to offer. Why wouldn't anyone want to live here?"

No one answered him, but the he didn't expect an answer. Duo let his cheerful façade fade into the background as he stared out the window. He didn't move for an hour or more, completely engrossed in the movement of the leaves. He found it soothing at times, it helped to clear his head of unwanted thoughts, or rather, unwanted voices. He didn't see the dull red eyes watching him from the far wall, nor did he notice when Heero entered the room.

Far below them the Oracle screamed in agony, pulling herself from her vision forcefully to find that she was kneeling on the floor of the throne room, her hands bloody from clawing at the stone chair. She caught her breath slowly, shaking her head to clear it of the last gruesome scenes flashing still before even open eyes.

"This cannot be…" She groaned painfully as she rose. Passing one bloody and bruised hand over the mirror, she brought into focus four of the gundam pilots finishing their dinner plates and talking in hushed voices….


	3. Chapter 3 Into my dreams

Falling into Darkness Chapter 3

By Shinigami y Inochi

Genre: angst, supernatural

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, or any other characters in this story that belong to Bandai.

Reviews: Would love critiques! Using this as a way to get back into writing and would love suggestions!

Author's note: This chapter has actually been split into two because a portion of it is extremely graphic. I split the chapters so that those who do not wish to read the gory part of the story don't have too. There isn't anything essential to understanding the plot in the next chapter, so if you're sensitive; SKIP IT!

Again WARNING, THE NEXT CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. PLEASE USE CAUTION, DESCRETION, AND COMMON SENSE WHEN VIEWING IT. I am not responsible for anyone who ignores these suggestions and reads it anyway. Thank you!

"Is Duo not coming to dinner Heero?" Quatre asked when all the plates had been filled, save one.

"I haven't seen him since he finished his shower this afternoon." Heero replied eating his food swiftly.

"He's probably off causing trouble again." Wufei pocked at the carrot still left on his plate, cutting them into exact pieces before eating them. Heero stopped eating for a moment, but said nothing. The only person who noticed anyway was Quatre, sensing the anger wafting off of Heero, but unsure if that anger was directed at Wufei for his comment, or the aforementioned Duo.

"I'm worried about him." His speech gained momentum as he spoke as his nervousness grew from the looks of the other three pilots faces. "I mean, this really isn't like him to miss a meal and he seemed, depressed this afternoon when he came back from the hanger. He just wasn't acting like he usually does." Trowa and Heero exchanged a quick look; the acrobat raised an eyebrow silently at his teammate seeming to say without words 'I told you so.' Heero glared at him across the table and pushed his plate away.

"Fine, I will go check on him." Heero almost eagerly placed his plate on the sink and scooped up Duo's now full plate off the table. Heero walked quickly down the hall to the room he was sharing with the braided pilot. He did not pause to knock, but entered like a shadow, a trait that had helped him to survive throughout the war. Duo sat on the mattress closest to the window, his face was ashen and his eyes unseeing.

"Duo?" He questioned, a frown on his angelic features, he had never seen Duo's expression in anything but a smile, save for when he was flying his gundam, and his face reflected the determination of the God of Death he claimed to be. "I brought you some food. You didn't come to dinner…" He paused; his fellow pilot didn't even seem to hear him. "Duo?" Came the concerned question again, the feeling wafting through his voice like a puff of a cloud. He crossed the room swiftly, setting a hand on the other pilot's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Are you alright?"

Duo's reaction was swift, almost too fast for even Heero to predict. He reached down around his ankle and pulled a small dagger from his boot, swinging it defensively in the perfect soldier's direction. Fortunately, Heero had has reputation for a reason, or he would have receive a rather long cut to the chest. He caught the swing midway, long before it could cause any damage.

Duo blinked and looked up, as if he were just seeing Heero for the first time, realization dawned on him when he saw the knife in his hand and he swiftly withdrew it from view.

"Gomennashi Heero, I… I thought you were someone else." He ducked his head, almost shamefully, refusing to look Heero in the eye.

"Hn." Was Heero's only reply. He handed Duo the plate of food dismissively and retreated to his side of the bedroom. He frowned as he went, contemplating Duo's actions and why they had hurt him so much.

'Why should I care if he's not strong willed enough to look me in the eye? It does not decrease his abilities as a soldier, that is the only reason why I care, I need him to be a fit soldier.' He justified to himself, trying to satisfy his own unease.

Heero sat down on the edge of his small twin size mattress and methodically undressed for bed. By the time he realized what he was doing, he was already climbing beneath the covers in little more than boxers. He wasn't in the least tired, but the logical part of his brain told him "too late now." He signed quietly and closed his eyes, forcing himself to drift to sleep.

Duo watched him silently from across the room, feeling very unnoticed by the other man. He sighed when Heero wrapped himself deep in the covers and turned away from him. "Thank you Heero." He whispered quietly, eating the food that Heero had brought in for him, entirely unaware that he lay silently listening.

Duo finished his meal and set the plate down by the window, intent on returning it to the kitchen in the morning. He pulled his shirt over his head the moonlight dancing on war defined abs, but he left his pants on, not wanting to bother with removing his weapons just yet, and climbed into bed exhausted…

"At last." Despair whispered to the silent room, his crimson eyes glowing rightly against the shadows wafting all around. He passed through them like a ghost, floating to Duo's side with all the malice of death's hand.

"Now sleeping beauty, dream no more of sweet princes. Fly on with fell witches and let the devil take your soul." Despair enchanted placing one clawed finger upon his forehead. A tiny skull appeared where his finger lay, glowing with an unearthly light and casting nightmares before Duo's eyes…


	4. Chapter 4 Hell's Fire

Falling into Darkness Chapter 4

By Shinigami y Inochi

Genre: angst, supernatural

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, or any other characters in this story that belong to Bandai.

Reviews: Would love critiques! Using this as a way to get back into writing and would love suggestions!

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. USE DESCRETION WHEN READING.

"Solo? Solo!" Duo cried running up to his childhood friend enthusiastically. Solo's grin seemed to say, could you expect anyone else? "What are you doing here?" He asked clasping his hand in a mock high five, "I thought you were…"

"Shh!" Solo whispered still smiling happily. "Come on." He grasped Duo's wrist and dragged him along behind as he lead the pilot down a deserted alley. Duo followed him obediently into a large dark tower, up the stairs they climbed, somehow able to see where they stepped and through the huge cathedral door at the tower's apex. Solo held back so Duo could push the door open, the light slowly revealing the scene before them, hanging in chains from the stonewalls across the room from them hung Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. Duo's grin vanished as he looked upon them, their eyes hollow with despair. Slowly, sister Helen turns her eyes upon the shocked pilot, recognition dawning on her face.

"Duo!" She called in a ragged voice. "Duo, save us! Please, Duo, you have to get us out of here." She repeated his name like a mantra, the only thing keeping her head above water. Father Maxwell looked up at her words, his eyes meeting Duo's in silent prayer.

The instincts of a pilot took over and the braided youth took a cautious step forward, hoping to come to their aide, but before he could move any further; something whizzed past his head at lightning speed. He watched in horror as an invisible weapon sliced across Sister Helen's stomach, like the opening of a piñata. She screamed in agony, throwing her head back against the wall as blood poured from the wound in great streams. The unholy blade came down again, striking her chest and colliding with the already opened wound. The contents of Sister Helen's abdomen came pooling out onto the floor with a sickeningly wet thud, leaving her belly a dark empty cavern. The dying woman coughed once, blood dripping from her lips and then laid still, her eyes adrift in a sea of never ending pain. The soft sounds of blood slowly pooling on the concrete floor held the silent room captivated in gut wrenching horror.

"No!" Duo screamed rushing forward to come to the woman's aide, part of him knowing that he was already too late for that, but unwilling to admit it. "Sister Helen!" He grabbed for one of the chains circling her wrist in an attempt to pull her free, but as suddenly as he touched the metal, he was thrown back against the far wall with enough force to shatter bones. He felt something snap in his shoulder momentarily blinding him by the searing pain like a wounded animal.

"Duo run!" Father Maxwell commanded, drawing Duo back into the scene, foregoing him the bliss of unconsciousness. "Duo, get up! You have to get out of here before…" The priest never got a chance to finish his words. The unseen hand that had stolen Sister Helen's life returned again to claim another. The whoosh of the blade sliced swiftly across his lips, silencing him with little effort. Suddenly, as if the priest stood before a wind tunnel full of shrapnel, thousands of shallow cuts began to appear along his flesh, biting into him like tiny teeth and forcing a scream from his torn lips. Blood flowed slowly from every wound, dripping menacingly in a puddle on the dark stone floor.

"No, Father Maxwell." Duo shook off his own pain, sprinting forward to place himself between the elderly man and the invisible instrument of torture. He spread his arms out wide, protectively, wincing when he felt the blade bite his own flesh deeply. Abruptly the strikes stopped, as if his assailant knew that Duo was not to be harmed in this exchange.

"Be gone street filth." Came the hauntingly mechanical voice through the air, like static along a charge wire.

"I will not move!" The voice seemed to chuckle at him, the echo of mechanical laughter reverberating through the room, sending shivers down the pilot's spine.

"Very well then." The machine appeared to slowly drift from the room, giving the young hero a moment's reprieve. Solo gave him a grand thumbs up from the doorway, greatly proud of his partner in crime. Duo began to give him a faint pain etched smile in return when an expression of shock crossed Solo's face and his head slide slowly from his shoulders to bounce ungraciously across the floor.

Duo looked on in horror, unable or unwilling to process the scene laid out before him. Duo did the only thing he could think of, he turned to father Maxwell for support, but the older man's eyes were glazed long since had his soul passed on from the pain. His flesh hung from the bone in huge chunks, like some rabid dog had tested the meat for flavor, but decided there was better prey elsewhere. Blood pooled on the floor, thick and spreading like worms.

"Show yourself!" Duo demanded with the last of his will power, knowing that he would break any moment from the horrors he had just witnessed. "Reveal yourself to me you murderer!" He whipped around angrily facing the doorway, Solo's severed head only feet from his toes.

The voice chuckled again, standing right before him. Slowly, and image appeared, growing ever more tangible as the seconds passed. Duo gasped, mortified as he realized who now stood at eye level with him; he was staring into his own sea foam blue eyes.

The twin's gaze was cold and lifeless and his face wore an angry frown, but it was Duo nonetheless. The image revealed the knife at his side drenched in crimson blood. The copy began to lick the cooling liquid from the blade, relishing in the taste as if it were a sweet wine. Those cold eyes seemed to laugh at Duo, and challenge him all at the same time, daring him to react.

'I killed them.' Duo realized a darkness beginning to creep into his vision. 'Everyone I come close too dies.' The dark realization made his double grin maniacally and shake his head in agreement.

Duo could take no more; his vision went black and his heart thumped heavily in his chest. The braided pilot tilted his head back and howled out to the person who he felt was the only one who could save him.

"Heero!!!"


	5. Chapter 5 Awaken my love

Falling into Darkness Chapter 5

By Shinigami y Inochi

Genre: angst, supernatural

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, or any other characters in this story that belong to Bandai.

Reviews: Would love critiques! Using this as a way to get back into writing and would love suggestions!

Heero's eyes flew open instinctively at the sound of soft footfalls peddling across the floor towards Duo's bed.

'Did he get up?' He wondered in confusion, not entirely sure what to make of the sound. They were not Duo's footsteps after all; perhaps there was an intruder in their room. The soldier shifted slowly, turning over to observe Duo's bed without even rustling the sheets. What he saw disturbed him, and brought him fully awake in an instant.

Duo lay tangled in his blanketing, thrashing wildly in his sleep, a look of pure, undiluted terror on his face. A tall dark figure stood over the pilot, as if he were ready to strike at any moment.

'What the hell?' Heero's mind supplied as his eyes made out the creature's claws and brilliantly glowing red eyes. 'What is going on here?' Suddenly, the braided pilot arched against the bed and flung his arms out wide. Heero watched in disbelief as long serrated cuts appeared across the length of the insides of the pilot's arms, bleeding freely.

'That is quite enough.' He concluded, pulling a gun out from beneath his pillow a rising swiftly to his feet, the pistol aimed deftly at the creature's head. "Get away from him." Heero commanded in a voice colder than the arctic winds.

The monster took a step back in surprise. "How can you see me?" It demanded its voice devoid of all emotion. The cocking of his weapon was Heero's only reply.

"Heero!" Duo's scream echoed through the room as the cry of a man that is dying from the pain. The shriek drew Heero's attention to Duo's lithe form convulsing on the sheets for only an instant, but when he turned back to confront their attacker, the beast was gone; vanished out of thin air. Heero made an irritated sweep of the room but didn't find a trace of his entrance or exit. With a deep growl, he stuffed the gun into the back of his shorts and rushed to Duo's side.

Heero stopped, suddenly uncertain. 'What do I do to help him? Surely this is an area more appropriate for Quatre to handle.' He wondered his training as a soldier unhelpful for the first time in his life. 'How do I?...' Heero's own words to Trowa seemed to return to him, reassuring him in his time of need.

"Live according to your emotions." He whispered to the air, the significance of that choice evident only to the gods. Heero sat down quietly on the bed next to Duo's trembling form; he put a hand gently on the pilot's chest and shook him slowly.

"Duo, wake up. You're dreaming." He commanded in a soothing voice, or rather, as soothing a voice as the great Heero Yuy could muster.

The braided pilot shifted inquisitively at the voice, his eyes springing open in an instant. Heero gasped as he lost himself in the depths of terror in the violet orbs.

"Duo?" He questioned, his voice shaking for an instant. He shook his head, regaining control over his emotions and breaking the grip of Duo's eyes.

"H.. Heero?" Duo asked the hope evident in his voice, as he sent horrified looks around the room, a flurry of motion, searching for something he could not find. Duo's frame trembled violently and sheen of damp sweat covered his forehead, his bangs clinging to bare skin.

"Duo…" Heero whispered quietly, putting a hand on the boy's cheek, intent on drawing his attention, he was not prepared for the sudden struggle Duo put him through. He thrashed against Heero's body with enough force to knock a normal person across the room, but Heero was used to such blows, he ducked the brunt of the attack, following through to counter strike immediately. He pinned Duo's hands to the bed, straddling the lithe frame easily, causing the boy's face to contort in panic.

"No Heero, get away! Get out of here before he gets you too!" Duo virtually shrieked, squirming beneath the stronger man with all the effort of a trapped tiger. Heero almost believed Duo would be willing to chew off his own arms to escape from the look on his face.

"He who?" Heero demanded, desperate to keep the pilot from hurting himself as well as bring him back from, wherever he was right now. Duo did not answer him, he shut his eyes and twisted in Heero's grasp, trying to force Wing Zero's pilot to let go, even for just an instant. Heero growled at the tactic and slammed Duo's arms into the soft padding of the pillows, forcing him to look into Heero's eyes.

"He who Duo!"

Duo cringed and looked away, unwilling to answer for a moment. A silent tear escaped Duo's control and he tried desperately to hide it. Heero squeezed his wrists, demanding answers and Duo returned his gaze with a look so full of despair it made Heero stutter back.

"I will." He said, his voice unwavering. "I killed them all Heero, anyone who's every been close to me. I am death's hand on earth."

"Duo, you kill soldiers because they are your enemies. If you did not then they would have killed you long ago." Heero retorted softly, no fully understanding what Duo meant.

"No, not them. That's not what I mean. It's…" but he couldn't finish his sentence. Duo suppressed a loud sob and hid his face in Heero's knee. All the fight went out of the braided pilot as he fought to control the tears cascading down his face.

"Duo?" Heero whispered in complete shock. He released Duo's wrists instantly, suddenly afraid that he had hurt the other pilot somehow. Heero sat there silently, watching in astonishment as Duo's shoulder's shook from the force of his sobs.

"Stop it! You don't cry." Heero heard Duo whisper against his knee, fighting back his tears, shoving the pain back into the little black box of his soul and away from prying eyes. "Duo Maxwell does not cry." but there was no conviction in his voice.

Heero was at a complete lose as to how to help the defeated pilot. He stared silently down on him, noticing finally that there was blood soaking the sheets around his knees and covering his own hands. The 01 pilot's training kicked in then, a defense mechanism he used whenever things got beyond his control emotionally or otherwise. "Let me get you some bandages." He stated to no one in particular, retreating to the bathroom that the pair shared.

Sleep mushed bangs covered his eyes as he reached into the cabinet below the sink. The pilot sighed as he gathered the bandaging material. What exactly was happening in the other room? Was he trained enough to handle it? He returned quickly to the other room, not wanting to leave the other man alone for too long. When he looked up, Duo had composed himself on the end of the bed. His eyes were still slightly puffy from the tears that had escaped those amethyst depths, but he had put his mask back on and suddenly Heero recognized it for what it was. The braided pilot looked almost cheery, a look that seemed so very out of place after the look of sheer panic that had been there before.

"Hey Heero, thanks man. Didn't mean to have a nervous break down on you over a dream." He laughed hollowly and reached out for the gauze Heero held in his hands. "I can take care of things here, no need for you to loose sleep over my idiocy." The auburn haired youth frowned deeply at him and took several steps across the room to stand right in front of him. Duo looked up at him with a crooked grin, holding out a hand expecting him to drop the wraps; instead, the pilot reached out for his left arm and began to examine it.

"Heero.." Duo tried to pull his arm back, almost ashamed of the other man's critical gaze. Heero cast him a look that all at once denied him the ability to argue with his tactics. He turned the limb over, inspecting the neat incisions all along the pale flesh, noting how they ran over older shallower scars; scars that all ran in the same direction. Draping a gauze pad full of Hydrogen Peroxide over the cuts to clean them he made a mental note of what those scars meant, intending to address them with the pilot later. He wrapped the braided man's entire arm in cotton gauze, making sure to cover the edges of each cut before moving on to the other arm. Duo sat there silently, gazing at the stoic pilot in confusion. He watched him work without interruption, something that probably hadn't happened between the two of them ever.

'What, no witty remarks?' Heero wanted to ask, just to break the tension, but he thought better of it. The comment would probably sting, not the reaction he was looking for.

'Why are you doing this?' Duo wished he could voice his question; express his confusion in some way, but he didn't dare speak and break the spell that had descended on them. Heero's touch felt so gentle, so good against torn flesh, he never wanted the other pilot to let go, he wanted to stay like this forever. Instead, he settled for keeping quiet, an uncharacteristic move, but something Heero seemed to enjoy. 'Why can't I get you to act this way when I'm not a wreck?'

"You're a cutter." He broke the stillness that had shrouded the room with one simple statement, simple yet devastating. Duo's facial expression transformed from one of tranquility to one of untamed anger. He ripped his arm from Heero's grasp, cradling it against his chest and spreading blood through the black material of his tank top.


	6. Chapter 6Into the spider's web

Falling into Darkness Chapter 6

By Shinigami y Inochi

Genre: angst, supernatural

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, or any other characters in this story that belong to Bandai.

Reviews: Would love critiques! Using this as a way to get back into writing and would love suggestions!

"What did you say?!" The demand held a hint of malice, warning Heero to choose his words careful. They had formed a delicate balance since the pilot had woken up and the smallest of steps could push them into a terse battle of wills.

"Is it because of what you said, that you're death's right hand?" Wing Zero's pilot held him no resentment; he only wished to understand why it was that someone so beautiful would mar his or her own flesh. He did not voice most of his thought, only questioned him as a soldier would.

Duo studied him silently, refusing to answer the question directly. He turned his attention to the bandage half wrapped around his forearm, finishing the wrap half-hazard. "Good night Heero." He turned away from him, intent on sending Heero back to his own bed. The stoic pilot sat stunned and a touch hurt for a moment, but Heero Yuy was not a man who gave up easily on something he wanted.

"Oh no you don't." He grabbed Duo by the shoulder, forcing the smaller man to look at him. "I don't care if you don't want to talk about it, but you don't get to just dismiss me like that."

"Then what do you want?" Duo demanded, his eyes angry, but searching.

"I… I don't know." Heero stumbled unable to voice even to himself what he really wanted. Duo shook his head and made an attempt to shake Heero's hand from his arm. The pilot scowled, his arm held firmly in place. The action drew all of the anger out of Duo. The braided man curled his free hand into a fist and swung it at the other man with as much force as he could with the brunt of his weight off center. Heero dodged the sloppy blow easily, but the move threw them both off balance and the pair tumbled from the edge of the bed to the floor. Duo leapt to his feet first, throwing another punch at Heero's stomach. The taller man instinctively reacted, throwing his opponent's weight off balance and slamming his back against the wall. Duo let out a soft groan when he hit the wall, his arms pinned neatly at his sides.

"What the hell is your problem!" Heero demanded glaring daggers at the other man. Duo opened his mouth to answer him with an angry retort, but the argument was interrupted by the sound of quiet knocking on the door. Both pilot's looked at each other, the fight leaving both of them.

"Is everything ok?" Quatre's voice carried through the door. Heero sighed, looking at his captive apologetically while he released him to go answer the door. He opened the door slowly, holding it against his body so that Quatre could only see him and not the rest of the room.

"Hey Quatre. Everything's fine. Duo and I were just, discussing something." The blonde man raised an eyebrow at him, not fooled for an instant.

"Discussing something huh? Is he going to be able to fly tomorrow or did you beat the crap out of him?" Heero almost smirked.

"No nothing that dramatic. He'll be fine."

"Ok then, but I swear the two of us will get revenge if you did something to him." Heero smirked.

"I'm sure you would try. Besides he's no good to me dead." Quatre shook his head as Heero closed the door. The muscular pilot turned back to Duo, only to find he had retreated to the bathroom. He sighed, dropping his shoulders, and crawled dejectedly into his own bed. He wasn't going to get anything out of Duo tonight, and probably not for a long while after the altercation that had just occurred. He'd have to talk to Trowa about it and see what he should have done, or rather how to fix things; but for now he hoped that the two of them could just get some sleep.

Duo hid behind the locked bathroom door, his arms throbbing dully in the back of his mind. He glanced down at them, noticing that the bandages they had just set in place were soaked in blood. He thought vaguely that he should rewrap them before he got an infection, but the soft dripping sound of the blood drops hitting the linoleum was soothing, a constant steady state of repetition; like a heart beat.

The braided man crumbled slowly to the floor, his thoughts on the haunting dream, and mostly on the conversation he had had with Heero. Duo scoffed ironically, not that you could call what had happened a conversation. Heero had really been trying to get to know him better, had really wanted to offer him some comfort…

"And you treated him like shit." He said aloud, stifling a heavy sigh. 'What am I supposed to do now?' The question went unanswered and the unnerved pilot sat against the bathroom door for so long that he finally started to doze.

Hours later, Duo woke with a start when he almost fell completely over. He shook the sleep from his eyes, glancing at the state of the bathroom around him. The room looked like a scene from a murder mystery. He hadn't changed his bandages earlier in the evening, so the blood that had been flowing freely was coating the starkly white tile beneath him, and soaking into his clothes. The gauze bandaging clung to the wounds angrily, refusing to release their hold they were so caked with blood. It was this realization that led Duo to start a shower in the wee hours of the morning.

The hot water felt wonderful on stiffened muscles and allowed the pilot to strip the clinging gauze from his wounds. He winced when he saw them; the gashes were deep, deeper than anything he would inflict on himself. They needed stitching, something he'd have to ask one of the other pilots to do. 'Heero?' He considered, 'Maybe not.'

Cleaned and wrapped in a soft white towel, he turned to the restoration of the bathroom. Being a cutter had one advantage, one knew very well how to lift blood stains from bathroom surfaces, and the hydrogen peroxide he used wouldn't leave any forensic evidence behind either. When the bathroom had been scrubbed clean, he made his way back to his own bed, the bath towel the only thing covering him. He didn't hear Heero shift slightly at the sound of the bathroom door opening, nor did he feel the eyes on him as he crossed the room gracefully, never making a sound save for when he flopped himself down on his bed with a sigh. He hoped it would be morning soon, so he could do something productive…

Heero was the first one down to breakfast, as he always was. He sat at the kitchen counter, a mug of hot coffee in one hand and his laptop strategically placed on the counter so that he could see everything in the room by just lifting his eyes half of an inch. He studied the mission parameters the group had just been sent, contemplating all strategic exit and entry points as well as the best place to set each Gundam. Heero was an elite soldier after all, war tactics calmed him down. And yet, today he couldn't concentrate. He couldn't get the image of Duo crossing the room with nothing more than a towel around his waste out of his head… The attraction he felt toward that mental image was unnerving at best, damaging to the mission at worst.

Slowly, the other pilots began to make their way down to the kitchen for breakfast as well, each in varying stages of sleep. Wufei seemed rested and revived, his white tank top lightly dampened with sweat from his early morning workout, Trowa followed closely behind Quatre on their way into the kitchen, yawning silently behind his hand as he sat down next to Heero. Meanwhile, Quatre cheerfully went for the coffee pot.

"So, do I ask you what happened last night, or is it something we probably don't want to know about?" Wufei cornered Heero with the question, leaning against the kitchen counter with his eyes on the stoic pilot. Heero shook his head.

"I honestly don't think you'd believe me, even if I told you. I don't know that I wasn't hallucinating in the first place." The comment drew everyone's attention; Trowa raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Try me." Wufei demanded, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Heero sighed. "Fine, but don't repeat this to anyone, and again, I'm not sure I really saw anything at all." He ran a hand through his disheveled auburn hair and leaned back in his chair. "There was someone else in our room last night, an intruder. I didn't see him come in, and I didn't see him leave. The only time I even noticed he was there was when he stood over Duo. I swear to any of the gods you believe in, the thing had claws and red eyes. I'm not sure it was even human. I'd say that I was dreaming myself, but it interacted with me, and the lacerations he left on Duo's arms were real enough. Plus there's the fact that the rest of the house obvious heard Duo scream."

The pilots held silent for a moment after Heero's explanation, each contemplating his words in their own way. It was Wufei who, again, broke the silence first.

"So you're saying this thing attacked Duo. Why?" Heero shrugged.

"No idea, I don't even know if Duo knows that there was someone there. It seemed like he was rather engaged in a nightmare."

"And no one else saw anything? Heard anything from this intruder?"

"Wufei, I swear if you call me crazy I will beat you to a pulp right here." Heero's threat was not without reservation. He didn't know if he was crazy or not, he didn't think so, but one never knew after encountering the zero system. The rest of the pilots shook their heads, both contemplating the many questions Heero's admission arose. Wufei was about to say something more when Heero's laptop beeped loudly, a mission transmission demanding immediate attention. The sound of several other laptops going off echoed down the stairs, only one of which was turned off quickly. The pilots glanced at one another, silently agreeing that this conversation would have to continue some other time.

"It's a general transmission. Oz is planning on transporting some new alloy parts to the moon to upgrade the shielding systems on the mobile dolls. The doctors want all of us to intercept the shipment and keep it from reaching the moon at any cost." Heero read off the orders, going over tactical schematics and distance coordinates. The other pilots were gathering their equipment when Duo came down the stairs.

The braided pilot seemed subdued, not his usual jubilant self, even the prospect of a fairly easy mission did not seem to have risen his spirits. He wore his sleeves pulled down, but the bulk of the bandages were visible under the thin material. He smiled, throwing out a quirk that under normal circumstances would have fooled the pilots now looking at him, but not today. Today the pilot seemed to be trying to hard to hide, his eyes were sunken in from lack of sleep and he seemed extraordinarily pale.

"How's it going guys? You all about ready to head out for this mission?" The cheerful voice was all Duo, bouncy and full of ego. Trowa couldn't help but shake his head at the other man, nodding toward the door and tossing him an apple from the counter on his way out. "What, no time for a real breakfast? I was gonna make pancakes!" Duo called after their retreating backs, catching the apple easily. He shrugged, following closely behind Wufei and took out a pocket knife to cut the apple into slices as they made their way to the hidden hanger about a half mile from the house.


End file.
